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Norfolk & Region

County staff will take action to limit odours

Dead fish and rotting algae are among the items deposited in this dumpster as part of the daily Walker Street beach grooming program in Port Dover. Merchants in the vicinity are concerned about odours emanating from the giant receptacle and have asked Norfolk County to do something about it. MONTE SONNENBERG / SIMCOE REFORMER

“What do we do with a stinky dumpster? / What do we do with a stinky dumpster? / What do we do with a stinky dumpster? / Earl-i in the mornin’!”

That’s the question Norfolk staff is asking now that merchants in Port Dover have complained about a smelly trash receptacle at the Walker Street beach.

The large dumpster is located in the south-east corner of the parking lot near the foot of the west pier.

This is where Norfolk stores trash from receptacles at the waterfront. It is also where staff houses dead fish, rotting algae and other flotsam they gather each morning when they groom the beach for that day’s traffic.

Port Dover Coun. John Wells told council Tuesday that the dumpster is in a bad location, especially on hot, humid days. This is a high-traffic area and the dumpster, at times, gives off a repellant odour.

Wells says there is a good collection of merchants in the immediate area and they would like something done.

“They’re asking if there is somewhere else we can put it,” Wells said.

In previous years, responsibility for managing the grooming program rested with Norfolk public works. That responsibility was recently transferred to the county’s community services department. General manager Bill Cridland says staff will stay on top of the situation now that the nice weather is here.

“As in other years in the hot weather, the bin can be dumped more often and products used to treat the bin to reduce the smell,” Cridland said in an email. “Staff will, as always, monitor the bin for smell and take the appropriate action if needed.”